Shayne Looper: Now we see through a glass darkly

Shayne Looper

Friday

Apr 30, 2010 at 12:01 AMApr 30, 2010 at 6:51 AM

There is a very odd story in the Bible’s Gospel of Mark. Jesus had just returned to Bethsaida, the home town of at least three of his disciples (and possibly more). Recognizing Jesus, some people from the village brought a blind friend and begged Jesus to heal him.

There is a very odd story in the Bible’s Gospel of Mark. Jesus had just returned to Bethsaida, the home town of at least three of his disciples (and possibly more). Recognizing Jesus, some people from the village brought a blind friend and begged Jesus to heal him.

Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the commotion of the village. He put his hands on the man, then asked him if he could see anything.

The man looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

With that, Jesus touched him again and the man could see clearly.

This is the only story of a healing act by Jesus that was not immediately and completely successful. Some scholars who approach the text through the lens of historical criticism (though certainly not all) must be baffled by its presence in the gospel. If one accepts their governing assumptions, this text ought never to have been included in the canon.

I believe the inclusion of this story at this point in the text is related to the event that immediately precedes it. There the disciples drew a wrong conclusion from something Jesus said, and he commented on their persistent spiritual blindness.

Apparently blindness — not the physical, but the spiritual kind — often requires more than one divine touch. Without that touch our clouded vision makes life difficult to navigate. We see things out of focus, attributing too much importance to one thing, too little to another.

It is especially important for those who have teaching responsibilities to remember that our vision has not yet been perfected. The biblical scholar, N. T. Wright, used to tell his students that 10 percent of what he taught them was wrong — he just did not know which 10 percent! A good teacher approaches his or her students with humility, knowing there is always more to be learned.

Even the apostle Paul — ablest and wisest of theologians — admitted that he only knew “in part.” He had a memorable way of describing this partial knowledge. He wrote, “Now we see through a glass darkly.” We see truly, but not always clearly.

Acknowledging that our vision is limited and our acuity imperfect should lead us to greater dependence on God and greater humility towards others — including those with whom we disagree.

Some may fear that, by admitting our vision is limited, we will give ground to the atheists, who deny there is anything to see. But it does not follow that, because we do not see all things clearly, we do not see anything at all.

The blind man (Mark 8: 24) could see after the first divine touch. He saw, and knew he saw, people. This was a great improvement, though he recognized that more needed to be done.

So with the believer. He sees what he once only felt. Don’t try to tell him that he doesn’t see, or that he is imagining things. He knows better. He sees, and he sees truly, but he knows he does not see perfectly.

A common criticism of believers is that they act like they see everything perfectly. David Kinnaman, who worked with the Barna Research Group, writes that Outsiders (his term for those outside the church, usually with little theological understanding) tell believers: “Don’t be so smart. Don’t pretend to have all the answers. If you are not sure, just say so.”

I would add, even when you are sure, don’t be overbearing. People are not always looking for answers, but they are always looking for respect — and, maybe, even friends.

Besides, it was never our job to have all the answers. We only have to point people to the One who is himself the answer.

Shayne Looper can be reached at salooper@dmcibb.net.

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